Steam-trap.



J. F. NICELROY, DECD.

s. II. McELRoY, ExEcuTIIIx.

STEAM TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I2, 1912.

Patented J uly 13, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l @mdf w f I I, 7 as III II Illll I I I I I I I I IW WITNESSESI INVENTOR ATTY WITNESSES:

J. F. McELROY, DECD. s. H. McELR0Y,ExEcuTR1x.

STEAM TRAP. APPLICATION man 1AN.|2.1912.

Patented .Tilly 13, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ummm@ JAMES F. MCELROY, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK; SUSIE HALE MGIELROY, EXECUTRIX 0F SAID JAMES F. MoELR-OY, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR T0 CONSOLIDATED CAR-HEATING COMPANY, A. CORPORATION 0F WEST `l7'll]EtGINIA.

STEAM-TRAP.

Maaate.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, MM5.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. MCELROY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Albany,- county of Albany, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Traps, the following being a full, clear, and exact disclosure of the one form of my invention which l at present deem preferable.

For a detailed description of the present form of my invention, reference maybe had to the following specification and to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical central section on line 1-1 of Fig. 4 of my device; Fig. 2 is an external side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a plan view, and Fig. 4 isl a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

My invention relates to a steam trap wherein the control-valve of the radiator is operated through a flexible wall intermediate between two chambers in the trapcasing.

Some of the features herein shown and described form the subject matter of a separate application of even date herewith and the features peculiar to my present invention comprise chiefly a'trap-thermostat having double chambers and a device for securing straight-line action of the control valve.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the trap-casing is composed of four sections A, B, C and D separated from one another on horizontal lines a, b, 0. The section B is the trunk-section which contains the several inlet and outlet ports by which the apparatus communicates with the system in which it is placed. Section A is a cup-section covering the valve chamber, secured by bolts al, (L2, a, a, section C is a depending section, and secured by bolts b1, b2, b3,.con`

taining the spring and operating rod, and also serving to support sectlon D, which 1s a basket-sectlon containing the thermostat.

The sections A, C and D are all secured to and supported by the trunk-section- B. The steam. from the source of supply, which is the train-pipe in a carheating system for which my device is particularly adapted, enters through port X into a -chamber W, formed in the trunk-section, and containing V whence it a removable screen R that is held in position by a hollow screw-plug S3' containing the blow-off plug S2. From chamber W the steam is admitted by the control valve into valve-chamber U whence it goes by port Y and pipe y to the radiator. The steam or water of condensation from the radiator flows through ipe a and port Z to chamber alls upon the thermostat in basket-section D. Chambers U and V are separated by a yielding or flexible wall composed of a corrugated cylinder F projecting into chamber U and closed at its upper end by a disk G1 on the end of operating rod Gr. The corrugated cylinder is mounted on a bonnet E that is screwed into the rigid partition between "the two chamber:, aie joint being made tight by suitable packing. A portion el of bonnet E extends up into cylinder F and contains vertical slots in which travel the guide wings g onv rod G, which protect the corrugated cylinderb preventing any attempt to turn the rod attached thereto which would tend to breakl the brazed connection between disk G1 and the cylinder. The space between the cylinder F and extension e1 'is drained by ducts e5 which open into the space between rod G and bonnet E where it passes through the latter. The bonnet E extends beyond the line b which separates Sections B and C, and is squared at its lower end to receive. a wrench. By this means the bonnet can be screwed into or outv of its 'seated position whenever the two sections are separated from each other. A spring N is seated at its upper end on bonnet E and at its lower end presses on spider G2 on rod G, the spider serving as a guide for the rod and also perrlhe thermostat of my present invention is formed of two hollow casings H1, H2, known as diaphragms which are adapted to contain alcohol or other liquid which vapori'zes at a given temperature and thereby causesthe containing diaphragm to expand and operate the control-valve of the radiator. By employing two diaphragms working in series I am enabled to get a longer range of play with a less distortion of the diaphragm. The -lower one is seated on the bottom of basket-section with a central bearing and the upper one is centrally seated on the upper one by an intervening central plate which carries a thin flexible web or disk k with lugs h1 above and below it to support the'outer or peripheral portions of the diaphragms. Ribs It? on the interior of the basket-section serve to hold the diaphragms centrally inthe basket and guide them as they expand and contract vertically. On

the center of the upper. diaphragm H2 `bears loosely a downward extension G3 from spider G2 whereby the upward pressurel of the expanding diaphragms is transmitted to rod'G and thence to the control-valve, as

- `will be hereinafter described. 1t will be obmentioned as located between chambers lV and U, it is shown in Fig.- 1 at P. being provided with a tubular valve-seat P1 in which moves a guide-block p screwed to the under side of the valve and serving to guide it while still permitting the desired flow of steam through the valve-seat. The valve itself is secured to the lower end of a vertica -l rod P2 which, at its upper end, moves in a guide-socket in the wall of cup-section A. A horizontal lever T with rounded end engages, on one side, with the rod P2 and, on the other side, with a block G* adjustably connected to disk G1 on the end of rod G, which disk also forms the closed upper end of the flexible cylinder F. By this arrangement a straight-line movement is communicated to the valve by the straight-line movement of rod G caused by the upward expansion of the thermostat or the downward pressure of spring N when the thermostat contracts.

` What l claim as new and. desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A steam-trap comprising a casmg having a valve-chamber and a thermostat-chamber communicating respectively with the opposite ends of the'. radiator, means for preventing direct communication between said chambers, a valve in said valve chamber, a plurality of separable hollow expansion diaphragms loosely mounted in series in the said thermostat-chamber and guided by the chamber walls, a separable spacer independently centered between the succeeding diaphragms,

and operating connections between the end diaphragm and the valve in said valve-chamber.

2. A steam-trap comprising a casing having a valve-chamber and a. thermostat-chamber communicating respectively with the opposite ends of a radiator, means for preventing direct communication between said separating the chambers, a valve in one chamber provided with straight line guides, a lever connection between the flexible wall and the valve, a rod for operating the flexible wall and two thermostats arranged in superimposed relation for operating the rod, the peripheries ofV said thermostats being separated by flexible bearing means.

4. A steam trap comprising a casing provided with two chambers, a flexible wall separating the chambers, a valve in one chamber, a jointed lever connection between the valve and the flexible wall, a rod for operating the flexible wall, two thermostats mounted in series in the casing for operating the rod, and a central support interposed between the thermostats and provided with a flexible web having lugs engaging the peripheral portions of said thermostats.

5. ln a steam trap the combination with a casing having a basket,l and a valve in said casing, of an operating thermostat for said valve comprising two unattached hollow diaphragms arranged in series with an intervening spacing device between them having both a central and a peripheral beari'rg on both diaphragm's, the said thermostat being loosely contained in the basket portion of the trap and guided peripherally thereby.

6. l'n a steam trap the combination with a casing having a basket, and a valve in said casing, of an operating thermostat therefor comprising 'two unatt'ached hollow diaphragms arranged in series, with an intervening spacing device flexible between its -central and peripheral bearings, the said thermostat being loosely co. tained in the basket portion of the trap' nd guided peripherally thereby..

7. in a steam trap, the combination with a. casing containing a valve chamber and thermostat-chamber the two chambers being separated by a partition including a corrugated cylinder closed at its upper end and opening downwardly into the thermostatchamber, of a thermostat in the thermostatchamber comprising two separable dia- 1,145,910 l A m phragms arranged in series, an operating Iny hand, before two subscribing-witnesses,

rlod interposed` between said cylinder and .this tenth day of January, 1912. t 1e upper one of said diaphragms a spring l 1 actng'downwardly on said rod, and. an op- JAMES F' MQLLRY 5 erating connection in the Valve-chamber be- Witnesses:

tween said cylinder and the valve. JOHN A. MGELVENEYL In witness whereof vhave hereunto set E. H. VIBBARD. 

